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CABIN 


AN  D 


: 


\URENCE  DUNBAR 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 

Purchased  from 
HORACE  DAVIS  BEQUEST 


Poems  of 
Cabin  and  Field 


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Copyrightvi896-i899 

Doddt  Mead 
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Copyright,  1895-1896 

By  The  Century  Company 


®mber0ttg  $regs 
JOHN  WILSON  AND  SON,  CAMBRIDGE,  U.S.A. 


To 


Bishop  Henry  C.  Potter 

and   with  him   the   friends 
who  were  kind  in  my  illness 


;     -  • 


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Contents 

The  Deserted  Plantation Page  9 

Hunting  Song 31 

Little  Brown  Baby .  43 

Chris'mus  is  a-Comin'        55 

Signs  of  the  Times 67 

Time  to  Tinker  'Round    . 81 

Lullaby      '.   ' .     .     .     .  93 

A  Banjo  Song 107 


The  Deserted  Plantation 


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Oh,  de  grubbin'-hoe  's  a-rustin'  in  de  co'nah, 
An'  de  plow 's  a-tumblin'  down  in  de  fiel', 

While  de  whippoVill  'sa-wailin'  lak  a  mou'nah 
When  his  stubborn  hea't  is  tryin'  ha'd  to  yieF. 


In  de  furrers  whah  de  co'n  was  allus  waving 

Now  de  weeds  is  growin'  green  an'  rank  an'  tall ; 
An'  de  swallers  round'  de  whole  place  is  a-bravin' 

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Lak  dey  thought  deir  folks  had  allus  owned  it  all 


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An'  de  big  house  stands  all  quiet  lak  an'  solemn, 
Not  a  blessed  soul  in  pa'lor,  po'ch,  er  lawn ; 

Not  a  guest,  ner  not  a  ca'iage  lef  to  haul  'em, 
Fu'  de  ones  dat  turned  de  latch-string  out  air  gone* 


** 


Itff       I   S* 


An'  de  banjo's  voice  is  silent  in  de  quarters, 

*   ~*  $flL\^i 

D'  ain't  a  hymn  ner  co'n-song  ringin'  in  de  air ; 

kW  * '(  /  '\  W 

But  de  murmur  of  a  branch's  passin'  waters 
Is  de  only  soun'  dat  breks  de  stillness  dere* 


-ph 


Whah  's  de  da'kies,  dem  dat  used  to  be  a-dancin' 

Ev'ry  night  befo'  de  ol'  cabin  do9  ? 
Whah 's  de  chillun,  dem  dat  used  to  be  a-prancin* 

Er  a-rollin'  in  de  san'  er  on  de  flo'  ? 

2J 


Whah  's  olf  Uncle  Mordecai  an'  Uncle  Aaron  ? 

Whah's  Aunt  Doshy,  Sam,  an'  Kit,  an'  all  de 
res'? 


Whah 's  ol'  Tom  de  da'ky  fiddlah,  how 's  he  farin'  ? 

^s.^1 


Whah 's  de  gals  dat  used  to  sing  an'  dance  de 


Gone !  not  one  o'  dem  is  leP  to  tell  de  story ; 

Dey  have  leP  de  deah  oP  place  to  fall  away 
Could  n  't  one  o'  dem  dat  seed  it  in  its  glory 

Stay  to  watch  it  in  de  hour  of  decay  ? 

25 


Dey  have  lef  de  ol'  plantation  to  de  swallers, 
But  it  hoPs  in  me  a  lover  till  de  las' ; 

Fu'  I  fin'  hyeah  in  de  memory  dat  follers 
All  dat  loved  me  an'  dat  I  loved  in  de  pas'. 


27 


So  I  '11  stay  an'  watch  de  deah  ol'  place  an'  tend  it 

Ez  I  used  to  in  de  happy  days  gone  by. 
Twell  de  othah  Mastah  thinks  it 's  time  to  end  it, 


Hunting  Song 


Tek  a  cool  night,  good  an'  cleah, 

Skiff  o'  snow  upon  de  groun' ; 
Jes'  'bout  fall-time  o'  de  yeah 

Wen  de  leaves  is  dry  an'  brown ; 
Tek  a  dog  an'  tek  a  axe, 

Tek  a  lantu'n  in  yo'  han', 
Step  light  whah  de  switches  cracks, 

Fu'  dey  's  huntin'  in  de  Ian'. 
Down  th'oo  de  valleys  an'  ovah  de  hills, 

Into  de  woods  whah  de  'simmon-tree  grows, 
Wakin'  an'  skeerin'  de  po'  whippo' wills, 
Huntin'  fu'  coon  an'  fu'  'possum  we  goes. 

35 


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Blow  dat  ho'n  dah  loud  an'  strong, 
Call  de  dogs  an'  da'kies  neah; 
Mek  its  music  cleah  an'  long, 

So  de  folks  at  home  kin  hyeah. 
Blow  it  twell  de  hills  an'  trees 

Sen's  de  echoes  tumblin'  back ; 
Blow  it  twell  de  back'ard  breeze 

Tells  de  folks  we 's  on  de  track* 
Coons  is  a-ramblin'  an'  'possums  is  out ; 

Look  at  dat  dog ;  you  could  set  on  his  tail ! 
Watch  him  now — steady, — min' what  you 's 

about, 
Bless  me,  dat  animal 's  got  on  de  trail! 


Listen  to  him  ba'kin'  now ! 

Dat  means  business,  sho  's  you  bo'n; 
Ef  he 's  struck  de  scent  I  'low 

Dat  ere  'possum 's  sholy  gone* 
Knowed  dat  dog  fu'  fo'teen  yeahs, 

An'  I  nevah  seed  him  tail 
Wen  he  sot  dem  flappin'  eahs 
An'  went  off  upon  a  trail 
Run,  Mistah  'Possum,  an'  run,  Mistah  Coon, 

No  place  is  safe  fu'  yo'  ramblin'  to-night; 
Mas'  gin  de  lantu'n  an'  God  gin  de  moon, 
An'  a  long  hunt  gins  a  good  appetite* 


Look  hyeah,  folks,  you  hyeah  dat  change  ? 

Dat  ba'k  is  sharper  dan  de  res'. 
Dat  ere  soun'  ain't  nothin'  strange,  — 

Dat  dog 's  talked  his  level  bes'* 
Somep'n'  's  treed,  I  know  de  soun'. 

Dah  now, — wha  'd  I  tell  you  ?  see ! 
Dat  ere  dog  done  run  him  down ; 

Come  hyeah,  he'p  cut  down  dis  tree* 
Ah,  Mistah  Tossum,  we  got  you  at  las'  — 

Need  n't  play  daid,  laying  dah  on  de  groun' ; 
Pros'  an'  de  'simmons  has  made  you  grow  fas',  — 
Won't  he  be  fine  when  he 's  roasted  up  brown ! 


Little  Brown  Baby 


Little  brown  baby  wif  spa'klin'  eyes, 

Come  to  yo'  pappy  an'  set  on  his  knee* 
What  you  been  doin',  suh  —  makin'  san'  pies  ? 

Look  at  dat  bib  —  you 's  ez  du'ty  ez  me. 
Look  at  dat  mouf  —  dat 's  merlasses,  I  bet ; 

Come  hyeah,  Maria,  an'  wipe  off  his  han's. 
Bees  gwine  to  ketch  you  an'  eat  you  up  yit, 

Bein'  so  sticky  an'  sweet  —  goodness  lan's ! 


47 


Little  brown  baby  wif  spa'klin'  eyes, 

Who 's  pappy's  darlin'  an'  who 's  pappy's  chile  ? 
Who  is  it  all  de  day  nevah  once  tries 

Ft/  to  be  cross,  er  once  loses  dat  smile  ? 
Whah  did  you  git  dem  teef  ?     My,  you 's  a  scamp ! 

Whah  did  dat  dimple  come  Pom  in  yo'  chin? 
Pappy  do'  know  yo  —  I  b'lieves  you 's  a  tramp ; 

Mammy,  dis  hyeah  's  some  ol'  straggler  got  in ! 


49 


sit 


Let 's  th'ow  him  outen  de  do9  in  de  san', 

We  do'  want  stragglers  a-layin'  'roun'  hyeah 
Let  's  gin  him  Vay  to  de  big  buggah-man ; 

I  know  he 's  hidin'  erroun'  hyeah  right  neah. 
Buggah-mant  buggah-mant  come  in  de  do', 

Hyeah's  a  bad  boy  you  kin  have  fu'  to  eat. 
Mammy  an'  pappy  do'  want  him  no  mo't 

Swaller  him  down  f 'om  his  haid  to  his  feet ! 


tl\ 


(\.:*m  tin 


Dah,  now,  I  thought  dat  you'd  hug  me  up  close. 

Go  back,  ol'  buggah,  you  shan't  have  dis  boy. 
He  ain't  no  tramp,  ner  no  straggler,  of  co'se ; 

He 's  pappy's  pa'dner  an'  playmate  an'  joy. 
Come  to  you'  pallet  now  —  go  to  yo'  res' ; 

Wisht  you  could allus  know  ease  an'  cleah  skies; 
Wisht  you  could  stay  jes'  a  chile  on  my  breas'  — 

Little  brown  baby  wif  spa'klin'  eyes ! 


*S      ,•  " 

"M 


Chris'mus  is  a-Comin' 


Bones  a-gittin'  achy, 
Back  a-feelin'  col', 
Han's  a-growin'  shaky, 
Jes'  lak  I  was  ol'. 
Pros'  erpon  de  meddah 
Lookin'  mighty  white ; 
Snowdraps  lak  a  feddah 
Slippin'  down  at  night* 
Jes'  keep  things  a-hummin' 
Spite  o'  fros^  an'  showahs, 
Chris'mus  is  a-comin' 
An'  all  de  week  is  ouahs. 


59 


Little  mas'  a-axin', 
"Who  is  Santy  Glaus? 
Meks  it  kin'  o'  taxin' 
Not  to  brek  de  laws. 
Chillun's  pow'ful  tryin' 
To  a  pusson's  grace 
Wen  dey  go  a-pryin' 
Right  on  th'oo  you'  face 
Down  ermong  yo'  feelin's ; 
Jes'  'pears  lafc  dat  you 
Got  to  change  you'  dealin's, 
So 's  to  tell  'em  true. 


An9  my  pickaninny  — 
Dreamin'  in  his  sleep ! 
Come  hyeah,  Mammy  Jinny , 
Come  an'  tek  a  peep. 
Or  Mas'  Bob  an'  Missis 
In  dey  house  up  daih 
Got  no  chile  lak  dis  is, 
D'  ain't  none  anywhaih. 
Sleep,  my  little  lammy, 
Sleep,  you  little  limb, 
He  do'  know  whut  mammy 
Done  saved  up  fu'  him* 


Dey  '11  be  banjo  picking 
Dancin'  all  night  th'oo. 
Dey  11  be  lots  o'  chicken, 
Plenty  tu'ky,  too* 
Drams  to  wet  yo'  whistles 
So  's  to  drive  out  chills* 
Whut  I  keer  fu'  drizzles 
Fallin'  on  de  hills? 
Jes^  keep  t'ings  a-hummin' 
Spite  o^  col'  an'  showahst 
Chris'mus  day 's  a-comin', 
An'  all  de  week  is  ouahs* 


Signs  of  the  Times 


Air  a-gittin'  cool  an*  coolah, 
Frost  a-comin'  in  de  night, 

Hicka'  nuts  an'  walnuts  fallin', 
'Possum  keepin'  out  o'  sight. 


Tu'key  struttin'  in  the  ba'nya'd, 
Nary  step  so  proud  ez  his ; 

Keep  on  strutting  Mistah  Tu'key, 
Yo'  do'  know  whut  time  it  is. 

7J 


Cidah  press  commence  a-squeakin/ 
Eatin'  apples  sto'ed  away, 

Chillun  swa'min'  'roun'  lak  hornets, 
Huntin'  aigs  ermung  de  hay. 

Mistah  TVkey  keep  on  gobblin' 
At  de  geese  a-flyin'  souft 

Oomph!  dat  bird  do'  know  whut's 
comin' ; 

Ef  he  did  he  'd  shet  his  mouf, 

73 


Kft 

^  xs 

Pum'kin  gittin'  good  an'  yallah 

Mek  me  open  up  my  eyes ; 
Seems  lak  it 's  a-lookin'  at  me 

Jes'  a-la'in'  dah  sayin'  «  Pies/'  B^ 

Tu'key  gobbler  gwine  'roun'  blowin', 

Gwine  'roun'  gibbin'  sass  an'  slack; 
Keep  on  talkin',  Mistah  Tu'key, 

lilO/AY  £P 

You  ain't  seed  no  almanac 


no  almanac. 

75 


Fa'mer  walkin'  th'oo  de  ba'nya'd 

Seein'  how  things  is  comin'  on, 
Sees  ef  all  de  fowls  is  fatt'nin'  — 

Good  times  comin*  sho  's  you  bo'n. 
Hyeahs  dat  turkey  gobbler  bragging 

Den  his  face  break  in  a  smile  — 
Nebbah  min',  you  sassy  rascal, 

He 's  gwine  nab  you  atter  while* 

77 


Choppin'  suet  in  de  kitchen, 
Stonin'  raisins  in  de  hall, 


Beef  a-cookin'  fu'  de  mince  meat, 
Spices  groun'  —  I  smell  'em  all. 
Look  hyeah,  TVkey,  stop  dat  gob- 


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You  ain'  luned  de  sense  ob  feah, 
You  ol'  fool,  yo'  naik  's  in  dangah, 

'    you    know    Thanksgibbin 's 
hyeah  ? 

79 


Time  to  Tinker  'Roun' 


. 

Summah  's  nice,  wif  sun  a-shinin', 

Spring  is  good  wif  greens  and  grass, 
An'  dey  's  some  t'ings  nice  'bout  win- 
tah, 

Dough  hit  brings  de  f reezin'  bias' ; 
But  de  time  dat  is  de  fines', 

Whethah  fiel's  is  green  er  brown, 
Is  w'en  de  rain 's  a-po'in' 

An'  dey 's  time  to  tinker  'roun'. 

85 


Den  you  men's  de  mule's  ol'  ha'ness, 
men's  de  broken  chair* 


Oh,  dey  's  fun  inside  de  co'n-crib, 

An'  dey's  laffin'  at  de  ba'n; 
An'  dey 's  allus  some  one  jokin', 

Er  some  one  to  tell  a  ya'n. 
Dah  fs  a  quiet  in  yo'  cabin, 

Only  fu'  de  rain's  sof  soun'; 
So  you 's  mighty  blessed  happy 

Wen  dey's  time  to  tinker  'roun'I 


Lullaby 


You  been  bad  de  livelong  day, 

Po'  little  lamb. 
Th'owin'  stones  an'  runnin'  'way, 

Po'  little  lamb. 

My,  but  you 's  a-runnin'  wil', 
Look  jes'  lak  some  po'  folks  chile ; 
Mam'  gwine  whup  you  atter  while, 

Po'  little  lamb. 

99 


Mammy  do'  fcno\ 
Ef  de  chillun's  all  lak 
You  fs  a  caution  now 


Y'ought  to  have  a  right  good 

Po'  little  lamb. 
You  been  runnin*  roun'  \ 


A  Banjo  Song 


J07 


Oh,  dere 's  lots  o'  keer  an'  trouble 

In  dis  world  to  swaller  down ; 
An'  ol'  Sorrer  's  purty  lively 

In  her  way  o'  gittin'  roun'* 
Yet  dere 's  time  when  I  f urgit  'em,  - 

Aches  an'  pains  an'  troubles  all,  • 
An'  it 's  when  I  tek  at  ebenin' 

My  ol'  banjo  f'om  de  wall* 
111 


An'  above  de  shady  hilltops 

I  kin  see  de  settin'  sun ; 
When  de  auiet.  restful  shadders 


Den  my  fam'ly  gadders  roun'  me 

In  de  fadin*  o'  de  light, 
Ez  I  strike  de  strings  to  try  'em 

Ef  dey  all  is  tuned  er-right. 
An'  it  seems  we  're  so  nigh  heaben 

We  kin  hyeah  de  angels  sing 
When  de  music  o'  dat  banjo 

Sets  my  cabin  all  er-ring. 
H5 


An'  my  wife  an'  all  de  othahs,  — 

Male  an'  female,  small  an'  bi$ 
Even  up  to  gray-haired  granny, 


Twell  I  change  de  style  o'  music 

Change  de  movement  an'  d 
An'  de  ringin'  little  banjo 

n  ol'  hea't-feelin'  hii 


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M&3^^^^2i 

An'  somehow  my  th'oat  gits  choky, 

An'  a  lump  keeps  tryin'  to  rise 
Lak  it  wan'ed  to  ketch  de  water 

Dat  was  flowin'  to  my  eyes ; 
An'  I  feel  dat  I  could  sorter 

Knock  de  socks  clean  off  o'  sin 
Ez  I  hyeah  my  po'  ol'  granny 

Wif  huh  tremblin'  voice  jine  in. 


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Den  we  all  th'ow  in  our  voices 
Fu'  to  he'p  de  chune  out  too, 

Lak  a  big  camp-meetin'  choiry 
Tryin'  to  sing  a  mou'nah  th'oo. 

An'  our  th'oats  let  out  de  music, 

Sweet  an'  solemn,  loud  an'  free, 
_,  r     n    i       e   1       »  1 » 

Twell  de  rattans  o   my  cabin 

Echo  wif  de  melody* 

\2\ 

1 


Oh,  de  music  o'  de  banjo, 

Quick  an'  deb'lish,  solemn,  slow, 
Is  de  greates'  joy  an'  solace 

Dat  a  weary  slave  kin  know ! 
So  jes'  let  me  hyeah  it  ringing 

Dough  de  chune  be  po'  an'  rough, 
It 's  a  pleasure ;  an'  de  pleasures 

O'  dis  life  is  few  enough* 

123 


x-^S  ^     iW 


blessed 
heaben, 
nothin' 


Now  I  think  heaben  td  be  mo'  homelike 


9-oc 


